In 'Facts about Portugal. bullet point 'Capitol' should read 'Capital'. Thanks for all the information that has been coming out about the game, you don't often see developers being this open about their work. Never played the board game, but very interested in this title.

Warspite1

Isn't this the US spelling? I think the use of US or English English is dependent upon the author for that unit. The naval write-ups for example are all English English.

Back to the original point, is not the 'Capitol' the building containing the US Congress, etc., the city itself is the US Capital, or so it says in the Washington DC website.

_____________________________

"We have to go from where we are, not from where we would like to be" - me

In 'Facts about Portugal. bullet point 'Capitol' should read 'Capital'. Thanks for all the information that has been coming out about the game, you don't often see developers being this open about their work. Never played the board game, but very interested in this title.

Warspite1

Isn't this the US spelling? I think the use of US or English English is dependent upon the author for that unit. The naval write-ups for example are all English English.

Back to the original point, is not the 'Capitol' the building containing the US Congress, etc., the city itself is the US Capital, or so it says in the Washington DC website.

Warspite1

I think you are right Rasputitsa.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

In 'Facts about Portugal. bullet point 'Capitol' should read 'Capital'. Thanks for all the information that has been coming out about the game, you don't often see developers being this open about their work. Never played the board game, but very interested in this title.

Warspite1

Isn't this the US spelling? I think the use of US or English English is dependent upon the author for that unit. The naval write-ups for example are all English English.

Back to the original point, is not the 'Capitol' the building containing the US Congress, etc., the city itself is the US Capital, or so it says in the Washington DC website.

Warspite1

I think you are right Rasputitsa.

Yup. I just looked this up in the US version of the World Almanac and Book of Facts. I'll make this correction in the files. Thanks.

_____________________________

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it! -Lazarus Long, RAH

I thought I would have a re-vamp of the Norwegian units - and this is an example:

[4951 Norge] .B Engine(s) output: 4,500 hp .B Top Speed: 16.5 knots .B Main armament: 2 x 8.2-inch (210mm), 6 x 5.9-inch (150mm) guns .B Displacement (standard): 3,645 tons .B Thickest armour: 6-inch (belt) .P The Norge-class coastal battleships (Panserships), consisted of two ships; Norge and Eidsvold. They were built by the British for the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNN) at the turn of the century. .P Although, relatively powerful at the time of their launch, their main armament was no more than a standard heavy cruiser; 8-inches. Two such guns were mounted in two single turrets. Their secondary armament featured six, single 5.9-inch guns that were mounted in casemates. Eight 3-inch guns were fitted in four twin turrets and for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, two 3-pdr guns were mounted. Their weapons package was rounded off by with 18-inch torpedo tubes. .P 6-inch belt armour was modest for this vessel type, and like their main armament, this did not compare even to Swedish coastal defence ships of similar vintage. Horizontal defence was provided by an armoured deck, 2-inches thick. .P Speed was of secondary importance for coastal battleships, and the Norge-class ships were no exception. Their 4,500 horsepower producing a top speed of just 16.5 knots. .P The two ships were named as follows: Norge was named after the country she served, while Eidsvold was named after the town, north of Oslo, where the Norwegian Constitution was signed in May 1814. .P HNoMS Norge was commissioned in 1901. In April 1940 she was part of the 1st Pansership Division (PD) along with her sister ship. The 1st PD was placed in the north of the country to defend the port of Narvik, and it was here that both ships met their end during the opening hours of the war with Germany (see HNoMS Eidsvold). .P Following the conquest of Norway, which was complete by June 1940, thousands of men from the RNN escaped to the United Kingdom and continued the fight against the Germans using equipment supplied by the Royal Navy. The ships in which they fought are too small (typically destroyers and smaller), and too few in number, to warrant an individual counter at the World In Flames scale. However, an overview of their contribution to the ultimate Allied victory is worth recording here. .P At the start of the Second World War, the RNN comprised fifty-nine warships, together with a similar number of auxiliary vessels. However, like most countries during the inter-war years, defence expenditure had been curtailed, and as a result, only a third of the warships then in service had been launched post World War I. .P The main strength of the RNN was centred upon two antiquated coastal defence ships of the Norge-class. They were supported by four destroyers, thirty-two torpedo-boats, three submarines, two sloops and ten minelayers; all of varying - but mostly old - vintage. In an effort to modernise the navy, six submarines had been built in the twenties, and these were followed by orders for two destroyers, six torpedo-boats and a number of smaller vessels during the following decade. However, the war came to Norway before the destroyers and two of the torpedo- boats could be completed. .P As can be imagined, the RNN was in little position to offer much resistance to the Kriegsmarine - especially given the surprise achieved by the German armed forces. The German plan was to land troops at vital points along the extended Norwegian coastline, but mainly in the south, between Oslo and Trondheim. .P Unfortunately for Norwegian hopes, with a couple of notable exceptions, the fighting was to be almost completely one-sided (see HNoMS Harald Haarfagre). Only a handful of vessels managed to escape to the United Kingdom, and many ships were captured by the invaders. .P This debacle did not set the tone for what followed however. The men and ships of the large Norwegian merchant marine contributed greatly to the British cause during the Second World War (see Transport Counters 4953-6) and, though small in number, their military counterparts also gave excellent service to the Allies. .P The few Norwegian ships that managed to escape were mostly too old to be of much use during the rest of the war. However, the British, and later the United States, were able to supply a number of vessels that were then manned by Norwegian sailors. To assist the Royal Navy in their fight against the U-boats in the Atlantic, the US Navy had transferred fifty old destroyers to the British in 1940. Five of these ships were passed on to the RNN, HNoM ships: Bath, Lincoln, Mansfield, Newport and St Albans. .P These vessels provided valuable service, especially in the early part of the war when the U-boats had the upper hand in the vitally important Battle of the Atlantic. But their contribution came at a price. In August 1941, Lt-Cdr F Melsom and 85 officers and crew died when HNoMS Bath was torpedoed and sunk by U-204 while escorting the Gibraltar bound convoy OG71. Earlier that same month, HNoMS St Albans was involved in the sinking of U-401 while escorting convoy SL81. .P The old US destroyers were gradually retired from service over time as sufficient new escort vessels came off the stocks. Six Flower and one Castle- class corvette were handed over to the Norwegians between 1941 and 1944: Acanthus, Eglatine and Potentilla all survived the war. But Montbretia was lost, with 47 crew, to an attack by U-262 in November 1942. She had been escorting convoy ONS 144 at the time. Also lost was the Rose, which was sunk in October 1944 following a collision with the Royal Navy frigate, HMS Manners. Last but not least, Tunsberg Castle was also sunk after hitting a mine, while escorting Arctic convoy RA62 in December 1944. 5 crew lost their lives. .P Three larger escorts that saw service with the RNN were the Hunt-class destroyer escorts. HMS Badsworth was transferred from the Royal Navy in November 1944 and re-named Arendal; Eskdale and Glaisdale were commissioned straight into the RNN in March and June 1942 respectively. In Norwegian hands, Arendal saw action against German E-boats in the English Channel, and it was in this theatre that Eskdale saw her single year of service. She torpedoed the German auxiliary Sperrbrecher 144 while off the coast of Northern France in December 1942. Sadly, four months later she was lost, while escorting convoy PW323, at the hands of the German E-boat S-90. Glaisdale too had a career that lasted just over a year, before being mined while in the English Channel in June 1944. She survived the mine damage, but her war was over. .P Three British U-class submarines were manned by the RNN during the war: P-41 (re-named Uredd); Variance (Utsira) and Varne (Ula). Uredd, under Lt-Cdr R Roren was transferred to the RNN in 1942, but was lost with all hands in February of the following year while patrolling off the coast of Norway. Ula was transferred to the RNN in April 1943. She too was ordered to Norway, where she achieved considerable success, including the sinking of the U-boat U-974 in April 1944. Utsira was only commissioned in August 1944 but she also achieved some success, sinking two enemy ships off the Norwegian coast. .P The largest ships to serve with the RNN during the Second World War were two former Royal Navy S-class destroyers: HM Ships Shark (re-named Svenner) and Success (Stord). Svenner transferred to the RNN in March 1944 and she took part in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the Normandy landings, three months later. Svenner was operating off Sword Beach on the 6th June, when at 0537hrs, she was torpedoed by a German E-boat. She was cut in two by the explosion; her broken hull briefly forming a V-shape before she disappeared beneath the waves with 33 of her crew. Stord meanwhile, had been transferred to the Norwegians in August 1943. Under Lt-Cdr S Storheill, she was to achieve notable success as part of the Royal Navy force that sunk the German battlecruiser, Scharnhorst, at the Battle of North Cape in December 1943. After Scharnhorst had been slowed thanks to damage caused by a shell from the battleship Duke Of York, the four S-class destroyers: Saumarez, Savage, Scorpion and Stord, launched a pincer attack on the German ship. Scharnhorst was hit by numerous torpedoes which were to seal her fate. .P Those vessels mentioned above were not the only ships to be manned by officers and men of the RNN between 1940 and 1945; there were numerous smaller vessels that saw service too, but lack of space precludes mentioning every ship. However, the men aboard all vessels - big and small - undoubtedly played their part in the ultimate Allied victory.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 5/30/2011 10:10:08 PM >

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

I've been working on updating the land unit files. Of the 935 write-ups completed, I have kbown authors for 819. Of the 116 write-ups for which I haven't found out who the author is, about 70% are Japanese land units (80+). If you worked on these, or if you have an idea of who did, please let me know so I can add the credit. You can send me a PM, or you can post here. I check in with this thread at least once a day.

Thanks.

-Aaron

_____________________________

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it! -Lazarus Long, RAH

I've been working on updating the land unit files. Of the 935 write-ups completed, I have kbown authors for 819. Of the 116 write-ups for which I haven't found out who the author is, about 70% are Japanese land units (80+). If you worked on these, or if you have an idea of who did, please let me know so I can add the credit. You can send me a PM, or you can post here. I check in with this thread at least once a day.

I've been working on updating the land unit files. Of the 935 write-ups completed, I have kbown authors for 819. Of the 116 write-ups for which I haven't found out who the author is, about 70% are Japanese land units (80+). If you worked on these, or if you have an idea of who did, please let me know so I can add the credit. You can send me a PM, or you can post here. I check in with this thread at least once a day.

Yes, very much indeed! I was working from post #953 on page 32 as a primary source. It was missing some of these. I had (improperly assumed it was up to date). Much obliged for the re-directs. Thanks. This should help me close down my search. ----- Edit: Once I have integrated all the posts above into a single file, I'll repost a list of completed/non-completed units.

-Aaron

< Message edited by Red Prince -- 5/26/2011 12:21:20 PM >

_____________________________

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it! -Lazarus Long, RAH

Second of three counters concerning Operation Weserübung: A German Transport Counter.

[4823 Transport .P World in Flames uses two main types of naval transport counter: Transport (TRS) and Amphibious (AMPH). The use of these counters depends to an extent on what optional rules are being used. However, as a general rule, TRS represent the types of ship that were used to transport men and material from one friendly port to another, while AMPH represent the specialised shipping that could land men and material on a hostile shore. .P TRS not only include troop ships but also other vessels that kept the troops fighting overseas supplied. These vessels include tankers, munitions ships and other cargo carrying vessels. .P As was the case with all nations that fought during World War II, the German Government had a policy of requisitioning any merchant ship that was required by the armed forces. This policy included vessels from the German merchant marine together with ships captured through conquest. Some ships were commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, converted into auxiliary cruisers, and manned by officers from the reserves, while others remained crewed by civilians and used as and when required. .P This write-up looks at the transport ship Rio de Janeiro. .B .B Name: Rio de Janeiro .B Engine(s) output: Unknown .B Top Speed: 10.5 knots .B Main armament: Unknown .B Gross Tonnage: 5,261 GRT .B Thickest armour: Not Applicable .P MS Rio de Janeiro began life as the Santa Inés. She was built in Germany in 1914 for the Hamburg-Südamerikanische line. This company, operated a fleet of passenger ships between Germany and South America. .P At the outbreak of World War I she found herself in Valpariso, Chile, where she sat out the war. After the Germans surrendered to the Allies in 1918, the Chileans took the opportunity to seize the vessel, before handing her over to the British three years later. .P Santa Inés was eventually sold back to her original owners in 1921, whereupon she was renamed Rio de Janeiro. .P Rio de Janeiro was requisitioned by the German authorities in March 1940 and was prepared for the forthcoming invasion of Norway and Denmark - Operation Weserübung. Weserübung was the world's first example of a truly combined military operation; co-operation between the army, navy and air force all being essential to a successful outcome. .P The plan for Weserübung, involved almost the entire Kriegsmarine, which was tasked with transporting troops to various invasion points along the extended Norwegian and Danish coasts. In support of the warships, whose transport capacity was limited, a number of merchant ships were employed in the role of troop carriers, tankers and cargo ships. The need for secrecy was paramount as the Kriegsmarine was required to carry out their part of the operation under the noses of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, which was located at Scapa Flow, just across the North Sea from southern Norway. .P For Weserübung, the Kriegsmarine was divided into eleven task forces (Marine Gruppe). Five of these were involved in the invasion of Denmark (see ASW Escort Counter 4812), while the first six were assigned to Norway as follows: .P Marine Gruppe I (MG1) - the destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Georg Thiele, Diether von Roeder, Hans Lüdemann, Hermann Künne, Anton Schmitt, Wolfgang Zenker, Bernd von Arnim, Erich Giese and Erich Koellner; two tankers and three transports. Destination: Narvik. .P Marine Gruppe II (MG2) - the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper; four destroyers: Paul Jacobi, Theodor Riedel, Bruno Heinemann, Friedrich Eckholdt; two tankers and three transports. Destination: Trondheim. The battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were assigned to cover MG1 and 2. .P Marine Gruppe III (MG3) - the light cruisers Köln and Königsberg; the gunnery training ship Bremse, the depot ship Carl Peters, two torpedo-boats, six S-boats, two auxiliaries, one tanker and three transports. Rio de Janeiro was one of the transports assigned to MG3. Destination: Bergen. .P Marine Gruppe IV (MG4) - the light cruiser Karlsruhe, depot ship Tsingtao, three torpedo-boats, seven S-boats, one tanker and four transports. Destination: Kristiansand and Arendal. .P Marine Gruppe V (MG5) - the heavy cruiser Blücher, the pocket-battleship Lützow, the light cruiser Emden, three torpedo-boats, two auxiliaries, eight minesweepers, two tankers and five transports. Destination: Oslo. .P Marine Gruppe VI (MG6) - four minesweepers and four transports. Destination: Egersund and Stavanger. .P The Kriegsmarine did not have specialist, purpose-built landing craft available for this operation. However, this was not a major problem as German troops were not required to storm heavily defended beaches. Instead, the first wave of invasion troops were transferred from the transporting cruisers and destroyers to smaller craft: torpedo boats, trawlers, auxiliaries etc and then taken to the target areas. .P The attack was scheduled to begin on the morning of the 9th April 1940, and as the various Marine Gruppen had different distances to travel, they began their journeys to Norway at different times and dates; the first being the destroyers of MG1, which set out at 2300hrs on the 6th April. The much slower moving transports and tankers that carried the follow up troops and their equipment were ordered to sail independently due to their slow speed, and those bound for the northern invasion sites had begun their journey many days before. .P The sea journey must have been a nightmare for many of the troops involved - especially those that were heading for Narvik and Trondheim. Initially, clear weather had helped British aircraft locate the ships of MG1 and 2, although their subsequent attacks failed to record any hits against the Kriegsmarine units. Later, the weather turned, and while this ensured the ships were now invisible to further prying by the British, the German warships were thrown all over the place in violent, unforgiving seas. Many sailors and troops were lost overboard en route to Norway. .P The first ships to engage the Royal Navy prior to the landings were those of MG2. On the morning of the 8th April the destroyer HMS Glowworm stumbled across MG2 while sailing to rendezvous with the battlecruiser Renown, and, despite the gallant fight she put up, Glowworm was soon dispatched to the bottom of the sea (see Admiral Hipper). .P The next encounter with the enemy took place further south and involved the Rio de Janeiro and the Polish submarine, Orzel. Orzel, commanded by Captain J Grudzinski, was patrolling off Lillesand that same morning when suddenly an unidentified merchant ship came into the view of his periscope. He had spotted the Rio de Janeiro, loaded with troops, vehicles, horses, guns and other supplies to reinforce the initial German invaders once a bridgehead was established at Bergen. After challenging the German ship to identify herself, and upon receiving no satisfactory response, the Polish commander ordered a torpedo to be fired at the merchant ship. A second torpedo was fired soon after, and Rio de Janeiro quickly capzised and sank at around 1215hrs. It is believed around 180 men died; mostly German soldiers. .P Further east at around the same time, the Royal Navy submarine HMS Trident found and sank another German merchant ship. This time it was the tanker, Stedingen, which was loaded with aviation fuel and heading for Stavanger to supply Luftwaffe units once Sola airfield had been taken by paratroop attack. .P While, further losses of both merchant ships and Kriegsmarine vessels would follow, both during and after the initial invasion, the sinking of Rio de Janeiro and Stedingen were the only real reverses suffered by the invasion forces prior to the loss of the Blücher, which was sunk in the early morning of the 9th while leading MG5 toward the capital, Oslo (see Blücher). Due to a variety of reasons: poor weather, poor decision making and good old fashioned bad luck, surface units of the Royal Navy were unable to intercept the vulnerable Marine Gruppen heading for Bergen, Trondheim and in particular, Narvik. .P As a result of the British failure to locate the German task forces, the six Marine Gruppen were in all position, ready to attack their targets on the 9th April 1940; Wesertag. .P The operation against Norway was ultimately successful, the attackers being helped by the Norwegians failing to act on warnings received from a number of sources about the coming invasion. As a result of this failure, at the time of the attack, the army was not mobilised, many coastal gun batteries were not manned, no minefields had been laid, and there was a complete lack of direction from the High Command of the army or the navy to the units that would initially face the invader. .P The resistance put up by the Norwegians was mixed and the Germans were able to take some objectives without a shot being fired, while in other places, a gallant defence was mounted. For a brief look at events at each main invasion area please see: .B Narvik (ASW Escort Counter 4811). .B Trondheim (see Admiral Hipper). .B Bergen (see Königsberg). .B Kristiansand and Arendal (see Karlsruhe). .B Oslo (see Blücher).

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 6/4/2011 2:16:17 PM >

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

The British built both ships for the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) at the turn of the century.

.P Although, relatively powerful at the time of their launch, their main armament was no more than a standard heavy cruiser; 8-inches. Two such guns were mounted in two single turrets. Their secondary armament featured six, single 5.9-inch guns that were mounted in casemates. Eight 3-inch guns were fitted in four twin turrets and for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, two 3-pdr guns were mounted. Their weapons package was rounded off by with 18-inch torpedo tubes. .P 6-inch belt armour was modest for this vessel type, and like their main armament, this did not compare even to Swedish coastal defence ships of similar vintage. An armoured deck, 2-inches thick, provided horizontal defence. .P Speed was of secondary importance for coastal battleships, and the Norge-class ships were no exception. The ships 4,500 horsepower engine (s) produced a top speed of just 16.5 knots. .P The two ships were named as follows: Norge was named after the country she served, while Eidsvold was named after the town, north of Oslo, where the Norwegian Constitution was signed in May 1814. .P RNoN Norge was commissioned in 1901. In April 1940 she was part of the 1st Pansership Division (PD) along with her sister ship. The 1st PD was placed in the north of the country to defend the port of Narvik, and it was here that both ships met their end during the opening hours of the war with Germany (see RNoN Eidsvold). .P Following the conquest of Norway, which was complete by June 1940, thousands of men from the RNN escaped to the United Kingdom and continued the fight against the Germans using equipment supplied by the Royal Navy.

The ships in which they fought were too small (typically destroyers and smaller) and too few in number to warrant an individual counter at the World In Flames scale.

However, an overview of their contribution to the ultimate Allied victory is worth recording here. .P At the start of the Second World War, the RNN comprised fifty-nine warships, together with a similar number of auxiliary vessels. However, like most countries during the inter-war years, defence expenditure had been curtailed, and as a result, only a third of the warships then in service had been launched post World War I. .P The main strength of the RNN was centred upon two antiquated coastal defence ships of the Norge-class. They were supported by four destroyers, thirty-two torpedo boats, three submarines, two sloops and ten minelayers; all of varying - but mostly old - vintage. In an effort to modernise the navy, six submarines had been built in the twenties, and these were followed by orders for two destroyers, six torpedo boatsand a number of smaller vessels during the following decade. However, the war came to Norway before the destroyers and two of the torpedo- boats could be completed. .P As can be imagined, the RNN was in little position to offer much resistance to the Kriegsmarine - especially given the surprise achieved by the German armed forces. The German plan was to land troops at vital points along the extended Norwegian coastline, but mainly in the south, between Oslo and Trondheim. .P Unfortunately for Norwegian hopes, with a couple of notable exceptions, the fighting was to be almost completely one-sided (see RNoN Harald Haarfagre).

Only a handful of vessels managed to escape to the United Kingdom, and the invaders captured many ships.

.P This debacle did not set the tone for what followed however. The men and ships of the large Norwegian merchant marine contributed greatly to the British cause during the Second World War (see Transport Counters 4953-6) and, though small in number, their military counterparts also gave excellent service to the Allies. .P The few Norwegian ships that managed to escape were mostly too old to be of much use during the rest of the war. However, the British, and later the United States, were able to supply a number of vessels that were then manned by Norwegian sailors. To assist the Royal Navy in their fight against the U-boats in the Atlantic, the US Navy had transferred fifty old destroyers to the British in 1940. Five of these ships were passed on to the RNN, HNoM ships: Bath, Lincoln, Mansfield, Newport and St Albans. .P These vessels provided valuable service, especially in the early part of the war when the U-boats had the upper hand in the vitally important Battle of the Atlantic. But their contribution came at a price. In August 1941, Lt-Cdr F Melsom and 85 officers and crew died when RNoN Bath was torpedoed and sunk by U-204 while escorting the Gibraltar bound convoy OG71. Earlier that same month, RNoN St Albans was involved in the sinking of U-401 while escorting convoy SL81. .P The old US destroyers were gradually retired from service over time as sufficient new escort vessels came off the stocks. Six Flower and one Castle- class corvette were handed over to the Norwegians between 1941 and 1944: Acanthus, Eglatine and Potentilla all survived the war. But Montbretia was lost, with 47 crew, to an attack by U-262 in November 1942. She had been escorting convoy ONS 144 at the time. Also lost was the Rose, that was sunk in October 1944 following a collision with the Royal Navy frigate, HMS Manners. Last but not least, Tunsberg Castle was also sunk after hitting a mine, while escorting Arctic convoy RA62 in December 1944. 5 crewmen lost their lives. .P Three larger escorts that saw service with the RNN were the Hunt-class destroyer escorts. HMS Badsworth was transferred from the Royal Navy in November 1944 and re-named Arendal; Eskdale and Glaisdale were commissioned straight into the RNN in March and June 1942 respectively. In Norwegian hands, Arendal saw action against German E-boats in the English Channel, and it was in this theatre that Eskdale saw her single year of service. She torpedoed the German auxiliary Sperrbrecher 144 while off the coast of Northern France in December 1942. Sadly, four months later she was lost, while escorting convoy PW323, at the hands of the German E-boat S-90. Glaisdale too had a career that lasted just over a year, before being mined while in the English Channel in June 1944. She survived the mine damage, but her war was over. .P Three British U-class submarines were manned by the RNN during the war: P-41 (re-named Uredd); Variance (Utsira) and Varne (Ula). Uredd, under Lt-Cdr R Roren was transferred to the RNN in 1942, but was lost with all hands in February of the following year while patrolling off the coast of Norway. Ula was transferred to the RNN in April 1943. She too was ordered to Norway, where she achieved considerable success, including the sinking of the U-boat U-974 in April 1944. Utsira was only commissioned in August 1944 but she also achieved some success, sinking two enemy ships off the Norwegian coast. .P The largest ships to serve with the RNN during the Second World War were two former Royal Navy S-class destroyers: HM Ships Shark (re-named Svenner) and Success (Stord). Svenner transferred to the RNN in March 1944 and she took part in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the Normandy landings, three months later. Svenner was operating off Sword Beach on the 6th June, when at 0537hrs, she was torpedoed by a German E-boat. She was cut in two by the explosion; her broken hull briefly forming a V-shape before she disappeared beneath the waves with 33 of her crew. Stord meanwhile, had been transferred to the Norwegians in August 1943. Under Lt-Cdr S Storheill, she was to achieve notable success as part of the Royal Navy force that sunk the German battlecruiser, Scharnhorst, at the Battle of North Cape in December 1943. After Scharnhorst had been slowed thanks to damage caused by a shell from the battleship Duke Of York, the four S-class destroyers: Saumarez, Savage, Scorpion and Stord, launched a pincer attack on the German ship. Scharnhorst was hit by numerous torpedoes, which were to seal her fate. .P Those vessels mentioned above were not the only ships to be manned by officers and men of the RNN between 1940 and 1945; there were numerous smaller vessels that saw service too, but lack of space precludes mentioning every ship. However, the men aboard all vessels - big and small - undoubtedly played their part in the ultimate Allied victory.

The British built both ships for the Royal Norwegian Navy (KNM) at the turn of the century.

.P Although, relatively powerful at the time of their launch, their main armament was no more than a standard heavy cruiser; 8-inches. Two such guns were mounted in two single turrets. Their secondary armament featured six, single 5.9-inch guns that were mounted in casemates. Eight 3-inch guns were fitted in four twin turrets and for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, two 3-pdr guns were mounted. Their weapons package was rounded off by with 18-inch torpedo tubes. .P 6-inch belt armour was modest for this vessel type, and like their main armament, this did not compare even to Swedish coastal defence ships of similar vintage. An armoured deck, 2-inches thick, provided horizontal defence. .P Speed was of secondary importance for coastal battleships, and the Norge-class ships were no exception. The ships 4,500 horsepower engine (s) produced a top speed of just 16.5 knots. .P The two ships were named as follows: Norge was named after the country she served, while Eidsvold was named after the town, north of Oslo, where the Norwegian Constitution was signed in May 1814. .P KNM Norge was commissioned in 1901. In April 1940 she was part of the 1st Pansership Division (PD) along with her sister ship. The 1st PD was placed in the north of the country to defend the port of Narvik, and it was here that both ships met their end during the opening hours of the war with Germany (see KNM Eidsvold). .P Following the conquest of Norway, which was complete by June 1940, thousands of men from the RNN escaped to the United Kingdom and continued the fight against the Germans using equipment supplied by the Royal Navy.

The ships in which they fought were too small (typically destroyers and smaller) and too few in number to warrant an individual counter at the World In Flames scale.

However, an overview of their contribution to the ultimate Allied victory is worth recording here. .P At the start of the Second World War, the RNN comprised fifty-nine warships, together with a similar number of auxiliary vessels. However, like most countries during the inter-war years, defence expenditure had been curtailed, and as a result, only a third of the warships then in service had been launched post World War I. .P The main strength of the RNN was centred upon two antiquated coastal defence ships of the Norge-class. They were supported by four destroyers, thirty-two torpedo boats, three submarines, two sloops and ten minelayers; all of varying - but mostly old - vintage. In an effort to modernise the navy, six submarines had been built in the twenties, and these were followed by orders for two destroyers, six torpedo boatsand a number of smaller vessels during the following decade. However, the war came to Norway before the destroyers and two of the torpedo- boats could be completed. .P As can be imagined, the RNN was in little position to offer much resistance to the Kriegsmarine - especially given the surprise achieved by the German armed forces. The German plan was to land troops at vital points along the extended Norwegian coastline, but mainly in the south, between Oslo and Trondheim. .P Unfortunately for Norwegian hopes, with a couple of notable exceptions, the fighting was to be almost completely one-sided (see KNM Harald Haarfagre).

Only a handful of vessels managed to escape to the United Kingdom, and the invaders captured many ships.

.P This debacle did not set the tone for what followed however. The men and ships of the large Norwegian merchant marine contributed greatly to the British cause during the Second World War (see Transport Counters 4953-6) and, though small in number, their military counterparts also gave excellent service to the Allies. .P The few Norwegian ships that managed to escape were mostly too old to be of much use during the rest of the war. However, the British, and later the United States, were able to supply a number of vessels that were then manned by Norwegian sailors. To assist the Royal Navy in their fight against the U-boats in the Atlantic, the US Navy had transferred fifty old destroyers to the British in 1940. Five of these ships were passed on to the RNN, HNoM ships: Bath, Lincoln, Mansfield, Newport and St Albans. .P These vessels provided valuable service, especially in the early part of the war when the U-boats had the upper hand in the vitally important Battle of the Atlantic. But their contribution came at a price. In August 1941, Lt-Cdr F Melsom and 85 officers and crew died when KNM Bath was torpedoed and sunk by U-204 while escorting the Gibraltar bound convoy OG71. Earlier that same month, KNM St Albans was involved in the sinking of U-401 while escorting convoy SL81. .P The old US destroyers were gradually retired from service over time as sufficient new escort vessels came off the stocks. Six Flower and one Castle- class corvette were handed over to the Norwegians between 1941 and 1944: Acanthus, Eglatine and Potentilla all survived the war. But Montbretia was lost, with 47 crew, to an attack by U-262 in November 1942. She had been escorting convoy ONS 144 at the time. Also lost was the Rose, that was sunk in October 1944 following a collision with the Royal Navy frigate, HMS Manners. Last but not least, Tunsberg Castle was also sunk after hitting a mine, while escorting Arctic convoy RA62 in December 1944. 5 crewmen lost their lives. .P Three larger escorts that saw service with the RNN were the Hunt-class destroyer escorts. HMS Badsworth was transferred from the Royal Navy in November 1944 and re-named Arendal; Eskdale and Glaisdale were commissioned straight into the RNN in March and June 1942 respectively. In Norwegian hands, Arendal saw action against German E-boats in the English Channel, and it was in this theatre that Eskdale saw her single year of service. She torpedoed the German auxiliary Sperrbrecher 144 while off the coast of Northern France in December 1942. Sadly, four months later she was lost, while escorting convoy PW323, at the hands of the German E-boat S-90. Glaisdale too had a career that lasted just over a year, before being mined while in the English Channel in June 1944. She survived the mine damage, but her war was over. .P Three British U-class submarines were manned by the RNN during the war: P-41 (re-named Uredd); Variance (Utsira) and Varne (Ula). Uredd, under Lt-Cdr R Roren was transferred to the RNN in 1942, but was lost with all hands in February of the following year while patrolling off the coast of Norway. Ula was transferred to the RNN in April 1943. She too was ordered to Norway, where she achieved considerable success, including the sinking of the U-boat U-974 in April 1944. Utsira was only commissioned in August 1944 but she also achieved some success, sinking two enemy ships off the Norwegian coast. .P The largest ships to serve with the RNN during the Second World War were two former Royal Navy S-class destroyers: HM Ships Shark (re-named Svenner) and Success (Stord). Svenner transferred to the RNN in March 1944 and she took part in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the Normandy landings, three months later. Svenner was operating off Sword Beach on the 6th June, when at 0537hrs, she was torpedoed by a German E-boat. She was cut in two by the explosion; her broken hull briefly forming a V-shape before she disappeared beneath the waves with 33 of her crew. Stord meanwhile, had been transferred to the Norwegians in August 1943. Under Lt-Cdr S Storheill, she was to achieve notable success as part of the Royal Navy force that sunk the German battlecruiser, Scharnhorst, at the Battle of North Cape in December 1943. After Scharnhorst had been slowed thanks to damage caused by a shell from the battleship Duke Of York, the four S-class destroyers: Saumarez, Savage, Scorpion and Stord, launched a pincer attack on the German ship. Scharnhorst was hit by numerous torpedoes, which were to seal her fate. .P Those vessels mentioned above were not the only ships to be manned by officers and men of the RNN between 1940 and 1945; there were numerous smaller vessels that saw service too, but lack of space precludes mentioning every ship. However, the men aboard all vessels - big and small - undoubtedly played their part in the ultimate Allied victory.

[4823 Transport] .P World in Flames uses two main types of naval transport counter: Transport (TRS) and Amphibious (AMPH). The use of these counters depends to an extent on what optional rules are being used. However, as a general rule, TRS represent the types of ship that were used to transport men and material from one friendly port to another, while AMPH represent the specialised shipping that could land men and material on a hostile shore. .P TRS not only include troop ships but also other vessels that kept the troops fighting overseas supplied. These vessels include tankers, munitions ships and other cargo carrying vessels. .P As was the case with all nations that fought during World War II, the German Government had a policy of requisitioning any merchant ship that was required by the armed forces. This policy included vessels from the German merchant marine together with ships captured through conquest. Some ships were commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, converted into auxiliary cruisers, and manned by officers from the reserves, while others remained crewed by civilians and used as and when required. .P This write-up looks at the transport ship Rio de Janeiro. .B .B Name: Rio de Janeiro .B Engine(s) output: Unknown .B Top Speed: 10.5 knots .B Main armament: Unknown .B Gross Tonnage: 5,261 GRT .B Thickest armour: Not Applicable .P MS Rio de Janeiro began life as the Santa Inés. She was built in Germany in 1914 for the Hamburg-Südamerikanische line. This company operated a fleet of passenger ships between Germany and South America. .P At the outbreak of World War I she found herself in Valpariso, Chile, where she sat out the war. After the Germans surrendered to the Allies in 1918, the Chileans took the opportunity to seize the vessel, before handing her over to the British three years later. .P Santa Inés was eventually sold back to her original owners in 1921, whereupon she was renamed Rio de Janeiro. .P Rio de Janeiro was requisitioned by the German authorities in March 1940 and was prepared for the forthcoming invasion of Norway and Denmark - Operation Weserübung. Weserübung was the world's first example of a truly combined military operation; co-operation between the army, navy and air force all being essential to a successful outcome. .P The plan for Weserübung, involved almost the entire Kriegsmarine, which was tasked with transporting troops to various invasion points along the extended Norwegian and Danish coasts. In support of the warships, whose transport capacity was limited, a number of merchant ships were employed in the role of troop carriers, tankers and cargo ships.

The need for secrecy was paramount, as the Kriegsmarine was required to carry out their part of the operation under the noses of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, which was located at Scapa Flow, just across the North Sea from southern Norway.

.P For Weserübung, the Kriegsmarine was divided into eleven task forces (Marine Gruppe). Five of these were involved in the invasion of Denmark (see ASW Escort Counter 4812), while the first six were assigned to Norway as follows: .P Marine Gruppe I (MG1) - the destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Georg Thiele, Diether von Roeder, Hans Lüdemann, Hermann Künne, Anton Schmitt, Wolfgang Zenker, Bernd von Arnim, Erich Giese and Erich Koellner; two tankers and three transports. Destination: Narvik. .P Marine Gruppe II (MG2) - the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper; four destroyers: Paul Jacobi, Theodor Riedel, Bruno Heinemann, Friedrich Eckholdt; two tankers and three transports. Destination: Trondheim. The battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were assigned to cover MG1 and 2. .P Marine Gruppe III (MG3) - the light cruisers Köln and Königsberg; the gunnery training ship Bremse, the depot ship Carl Peters, two torpedo-boats, six S-boats, two auxiliaries, one tanker and three transports. Rio de Janeiro was one of the transports assigned to MG3. Destination: Bergen. .P Marine Gruppe IV (MG4) - the light cruiser Karlsruhe, depot ship Tsingtao, three torpedo-boats, seven S-boats, one tanker and four transports. Destination: Kristiansand and Arendal. .P Marine Gruppe V (MG5) - the heavy cruiser Blücher, the pocket-battleship Lützow, the light cruiser Emden, three torpedo-boats, two auxiliaries, eight minesweepers, two tankers and five transports. Destination: Oslo. .P Marine Gruppe VI (MG6) - four minesweepers and four transports. Destination: Egersund and Stavanger. .P The Kriegsmarine did not have specialist, purpose-built landing craft available for this operation. However, this was not a major problem as German troops were not required to storm heavily defended beaches. Instead, the first wave of invasion troops were transferred from the transporting cruisers and destroyers to smaller craft: torpedo boats, trawlers, auxiliaries etc and then taken to the target areas. .P The attack was scheduled to begin on the morning of the 9th April 1940, and as the various Marine Gruppen had different distances to travel, they began their journeys to Norway at different times and dates; the first being the destroyers of MG1, which set out at 2300hrs on the 6th April. The much slower moving transports and tankers that carried the follow up troops and their equipment were ordered to sail independently due to their slow speed, and those bound for the northern invasion sites had begun their journey many days before. .P The sea journey must have been a nightmare for many of the troops involved - especially those that were heading for Narvik and Trondheim. Initially, clear weather had helped British aircraft locate the ships of MG1 and 2, although their subsequent attacks failed to record any hits against the Kriegsmarine units. Later, the weather turned, and while this ensured the ships were now invisible to further prying by the British, the German warships were thrown all over the place in violent, unforgiving seas. Many sailors and troops were lost overboard en route to Norway. .P The first ships to engage the Royal Navy prior to the landings were those of MG2. On the morning of the 8th April the destroyer HMS Glowworm stumbled across MG2 while sailing to rendezvous with the battlecruiser Renown, and, despite the gallant fight she put up, Glowworm was soon dispatched to the bottom of the sea (see Admiral Hipper). .P The next encounter with the enemy took place further south and involved the Rio de Janeiro and the Polish submarine, Orzel. Orzel, commanded by Captain J Grudzinski, was patrolling off Lillesand that same morning when suddenly an unidentified merchant ship came into the view of his periscope. He had spotted the Rio de Janeiro, loaded with troops, vehicles, horses, guns and other supplies to reinforce the initial German invaders once a bridgehead was established at Bergen. After challenging the German ship to identify herself, and upon receiving no satisfactory response, the Polish commander ordered a torpedo to be fired at the merchant ship. A second torpedo was fired soon after, and Rio de Janeiro quickly capzised and sank at around 1215hrs. It is believed around 180 men died; mostly German soldiers. .P Further east at around the same time, the Royal Navy submarine HMS Trident found and sank another German merchant ship. This time it was the tanker, Stedingen, which was loaded with aviation fuel and heading for Stavanger to supply Luftwaffe units once Sola airfield had been taken by paratroop attack. .P While, further losses of both merchant ships and Kriegsmarine vessels would follow, both during and after the initial invasion, the sinking of Rio de Janeiro and Stedingen were the only real reverses suffered by the invasion forces prior to the loss of the Blücher, which was sunk in the early morning of the 9th while leading MG5 toward the capital, Oslo (see Blücher). Due to a variety of reasons: poor weather, poor decision making and good old fashioned bad luck, surface units of the Royal Navy were unable to intercept the vulnerable Marine Gruppen heading for Bergen, Trondheim and in particular, Narvik. .P As a result of the British failure to locate the German task forces, the six Marine Gruppen were in all position, ready to attack their targets on the 9th April 1940; Wesertag. .P The operation against Norway was ultimately successful, the attackers being helped by the Norwegians failing to act on warnings received from a number of sources about the coming invasion. As a result of this failure, at the time of the attack, the army was not mobilised, many coastal gun batteries were not manned, no minefields had been laid, and there was a complete lack of direction from the High Command of the army or the navy to the units that would initially face the invader. .P The resistance put up by the Norwegians was mixed and the Germans were able to take some objectives without a shot being fired, while in other places, a gallant defence was mounted. For a brief look at events at each main invasion area please see: .B Narvik (ASW Escort Counter 4811). .B Trondheim (see Admiral Hipper). .B Bergen (see Königsberg). .B Kristiansand and Arendal (see Karlsruhe). .B Oslo (see Blücher).

< Message edited by Extraneous -- 6/4/2011 8:08:23 PM >

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

3. In Norwegian, the Royal Norwegian Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "KNM", short for Kongelig Norske Marine (Royal Norwegian Navy). In English, they are given the prefix "HNoMS", short for "His/Her Norwegian Majesty's Ship".. I will stick with the English HNoMS, but change the RNN to RNoN.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 6/5/2011 7:50:09 AM >

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

[4952 Tordenskjold] .B Engine(s) output: 4,500 hp .B Top Speed: 16.9 knots .B Main armament: 2 x 8.2-inch (210mm), 6 x 4.7-inch (120mm) guns .B Displacement (standard): 3,852 tons .B Thickest armour: 7-inch (belt) .P The Tordenskjold-class coastal battleships (Panserships), consisted of two ships; Tordenskjold and Harald Haarfagre. The British built both ships for the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) between 1897 and 1898. .P Although, relatively powerful at the time of their launch, their main armament was no more than a standard heavy cruiser; 8-inches. Two such guns were mounted in two single turrets. Their secondary armament featured six, single 4.7-inch guns that were mounted in casemates. Six 3-inch guns were fitted in three twin turrets and for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, two 3-pdr guns were mounted. Their weapons package was rounded off with two 18-inch torpedo tubes. .P A 7-inch belt armour was modest for this vessel type, and like their main armament, this did not compare even to Swedish coastal defence ships of similar vintage. An armoured deck, 2-inches thick, provided horizontal defence. .P Speed was of secondary importance for coastal battleships, and the Tordenskjold-class ships were no exception. The ships 4,500 horsepower produced a top speed of just 16.9 knots. .P By the 1930's it was clear that the two ships were nearing the end of their useful lives, and both were converted to a training / accommodation ship role. As such, there is a case for these two ships not being given counters in World In Flames, and are effectively "what if" counters. .P The two ships were named as follows: Harold Haafagre was named after a Norwegian King, while Tordenskjold was named after a famous Norwegian naval officer from the 17th / 18th Century. .P HNoMS Tordenskjold was commissioned in March 1898. In September 1939 she was at the Karljohansvern naval base at Horten in Oslofjord, south-west of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. She was there, along with her sister Harald Haarfagre, when the Germans invaded Norway on the 9th April 1940. Due to the two panserships downgraded status, neither would affect the fighting that took place in Oslofjord on that morning. Note: for an overview of the events elsewhere in Norway on the 9th April see Harald Haarfagre. .P The Norwegian capital came under the control of the 1st Sea Defence District, commanded by Kontreadmiral J Smith-Johansen. His command consisted of three submarines and an assortment of smaller craft, none larger than a minesweeper. Despite this dearth of fighting vessels, the capital, which was located at the northern tip of Oslofjord, was in theory, well protected. The long fjord contained a number of coastal defence gun batteries, and a torpedo battery. In addition, in time of war, the fjords were to be mined to further restrict the possibility of any invader reaching Oslo. .P Unfortunately, the reality was rather different, and on the morning of the 9th April 1940, few of the gun batteries were manned, no mines had been laid, and more importantly, no one had picked up on the earlier warning signs of an imminent German invasion. Those men responsible for stopping the Kriegsmarine's advance up Oslofjord were to be given little or no direction from above. .P The German force tasked with securing Oslo was Marine Gruppe 5. This force was led by Konteradmiral O Kummetz and consisted of the panzerschiffe Lützow, the heavy cruiser Blücher (flagship), the light cruiser Emden, the torpedo boats Albatross, Kondor and Möwe; eight minesweepers and two auxiliaries. Five transports and two tankers were also assigned to Oslo and these were to arrive after the Norwegian capital was secured and would provide the first wave of troops with reinforcements and supplies. Aboard the ships of MG5 were 2,000 troops from the 163rd Infantry Division, around half of them in Blücher, including the headquarters staff. .P That morning the RNoN had four patrol vessels in the outer fjord, south of the two coastal batteries at Rauøy and Bolærne. One of these, Pol III, came across the torpedo-boat Albatross just after 2300hrs. Pol III's commander, Kapitan L Welding-Olsen bravely challenged the German vessel and ordered the enemy ships to exit Norwegian waters immediately, whilst at the same time signalling to shore the presence of enemy ships. When Pol III refused to cease signalling, Albatross opened fire on the little Norwegian vessel and Welding-Olsen was killed in the ensuing engagement. .P With Pol III disposed of, Marine Gruppe 5 continued on its journey to Oslo. The early morning sky was full of fog and this assisted the German task force in getting past the, by now, alerted outer defences at Rauøy and Bolærne. These batteries both opened fire on the German ships, but without effect. .P Having succeeded in this task, Kummetz's plan was to continue toward Oslo with the bulk of his ships, leaving some of the torpedo boats and minesweepers to transfer from the cruisers, the troops that would be used to capture the Karljohansvern naval base and the two outer forts they had just successfully passed. .P At Karljohansvern, despite the best efforts of the minelayer Olav Tryggvason, which sank the minesweeper R17 and damaged both a second minesweeper, R21, and Albatross, German troops were able to land. The naval base was then surrendered without further bloodshed. Meanwhile, a further four minesweepers were employed to capture Rauøy and Bolærne. The Germans strugged to capture Rauøy, but the garrison there was ordered to cease resistance when the naval base at Horten surrendered at around 0800hrs. The Germans then had problems landing at Bolærne, and it was only when all of the ancient guns had broken down, that the garrison surrendered in the afternoon of the following day. .P Whilst these subsidiary actions were taking place, the main event was unfolding further up the Oslofjord. Oslo's inner defences were positioned at the Drøbak Narrows. There were a number of secondary forts located on the mainland, but the two key defensive positions were housed on two islands in the middle of the fjord; Nordre Kaholmen and Søndre Kaholmen. The former contained a torpedo battery, commanded by Kommandørkaptein A Anderssen, whilst the latter was home to the Oscarsborg Fortress and its three 11-inch guns, with Oberst B Eriksen commanding. .P At 0330hrs, Kummetz ordered Marine Gruppe 5 to begin the final part of its journey to Oslo, which would begin with navigation of the Drøbak Narrows. Strangely, Kummetz proceeded with Blücher in the van, despite knowing of the presence of the torpedo battery, and she was followed by Lützow, Emden, Möwe and then the two remaining minesweepers, R18 and R19, bringing up the rear. .P Oberst Eriksen gave the order for the 11-inch guns to fire at 0420hrs. Blücher was effectively targeted at point blank range and the first salvo smashed into her control tower. The second shell hit the aircraft hangar, which soon became an inferno as Blücher's aircraft and the aviation fuel caught fire. These two hits were quickly followed by more, this time from the smaller calibre guns of the shore based batteries. Kummetz's flagship was by now in serious, if not fatal, trouble; worse was about to come. .P As Blücher continued through the narrows, she came into range of Anderssen's torpedoes. Two were fired and struck Blücher in quick succession. The heavy cruiser was now mortally wounded and by this time, Lützow had become the target for the Norwegian gun batteries. Kapitän Thiele, on board Lützow, ordered his ship, and those following, to reverse. All ships managed to successfully extract themselves but not before Lützow had received a number of hits, one of which succeeded in rendering Anton turret inoperable. .P Thiele had saved the remaining ships of Marine Gruppe 5, but for Blücher, there was to be no reprieve. With fires raging throughout the ship and with a pronounced list, the fire control parties were fighting a losing battle, and Blücher eventually capsized and sank shortly after 0600hrs. .P Eriksen's valiant efforts to stop the invasion would prove ultimately futile. The German troops still aboard Marine Gruppe 5 were put ashore at a number of points along the fjord and were then able to overcome the Norwegian batteries one by one. Lützow bombarded Oscarsborg with her 11-inch guns, while the Luftwaffe were ordered in to bomb the fortress from above. Seeing the surrounding batteries surrender to the Germans, Eriksen finally surrendered the fort in the evening of the 9th. .P While Eriksen could not save Oslo, his actions had helped to upset the German timetable. The number of Germans that had reached the capital by the end of that first day was only around 1,000. Had the Norwegian army been mobilised in time, and been properly commanded, it is possible that Oslo could have remained in Norwegian control for many days. This would have given the Anglo-French force, that later landed in central Norway, more time to consolidate their positions. Whether this would have ultimately made any difference to the campaign however, we will never know... .P After the capture of Karljohansvern, the Germans renamed Tordenskjold, Nymphe, and used her as a floating AA battery. She saw no action during the Second World War. .P HNoMS Tordenskjold was scrapped in 1948.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 6/5/2011 8:51:56 AM >

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

3. In Norwegian, the Royal Norwegian Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "KNM", short for Kongelig Norske Marine (Royal Norwegian Navy). In English, they are given the prefix "HNoMS", short for "His/Her Norwegian Majesty's Ship".. I will stick with the English HNoMS, but change the RNN to RNoN.

You dont note the modernisations to the Norge.

Common usage for commercial ships is "S.S." with one exception an "N.S.".

[4952 Tordenskjold] .B Engine(s) output: 4,500 hp .B Top Speed: 16.9 knots .B Main armament: 2 x 8.2-inch (210mm), 6 x 4.7-inch (120mm) guns .B Displacement (standard): 3,852 tons .B Thickest armour: 7-inch (belt) .P The Tordenskjold-class coastal battleships (Panserships), consisted of two ships; Tordenskjold and Harald Haarfagre. The British built both ships for the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) between 1897 and 1898. .P Although, relatively powerful at the time of their launch, their main armament was no more than a standard heavy cruiser; 8-inches. Two such guns were mounted in two single turrets. Their secondary armament featured six, single 4.7-inch guns that were mounted in casemates. Six 3-inch guns were fitted in three twin turrets and for anti-aircraft (AA) defence, two 3-pdr guns were mounted. Their weapons package was rounded off with two 18-inch torpedo tubes. .P A 7-inch belt armour was modest for this vessel type, and like their main armament, this did not compare even to Swedish coastal defence ships of similar vintage. An armoured deck, 2-inches thick, provided horizontal defence. .P Speed was of secondary importance for coastal battleships, and the Tordenskjold-class ships were no exception. The ships 4,500 horsepower produced a top speed of just 16.9 knots. .P By the 1930's it was clear that the two ships were nearing the end of their useful lives, and both were converted to a training / accommodation ship role. As such, there is a case for these two ships not being given counters in World In Flames, and are effectively "what if" counters. .P The two ships were named as follows: Harold Haafagre was named after a Norwegian King, while Tordenskjold was named after a famous Norwegian naval officer from the 17th / 18th Century. .P HNoMS Tordenskjold was commissioned in March 1898. In September 1939 she was at the Karljohansvern naval base at Horten in Oslofjord, southwest of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. She was there, along with her sister Harald Haarfagre, when the Germans invaded Norway on the 9th April 1940. Due to the two panserships downgraded status, neither would affect the fighting that took place in Oslofjord on that morning. Note: for an overview of the events elsewhere in Norway on the 9th April see Harald Haarfagre. .P The Norwegian capital came under the control of the 1st Sea Defence District, commanded by Kontreadmiral J Smith-Johansen. His command consisted of three submarines and an assortment of smaller craft, none larger than a minesweeper. Despite this dearth of fighting vessels, the capital, which was located at the northern tip of Oslofjord, was in theory, well protected. The long fjord contained a number of coastal defence gun batteries, and a torpedo battery. In addition, in time of war, the fjords were to be mined to further restrict the possibility of any invader reaching Oslo. .P Unfortunately, the reality was rather different, and on the morning of the 9th April 1940, few of the gun batteries were manned, no mines had been laid, and more importantly, no one had picked up on the earlier warning signs of an imminent German invasion. Those men responsible for stopping the Kriegsmarine's advance up Oslofjord were to be given little or no direction from above. .P The German force tasked with securing Oslo was Marine Gruppe 5. This force was led by Konteradmiral O Kummetz and consisted of the panzerschiffe Lützow, the heavy cruiser Blücher (flagship), the light cruiser Emden, the torpedo boats Albatross, Kondor and Möwe; eight minesweepers and two auxiliaries. Five transports and two tankers were also assigned to Oslo and these were to arrive after the Norwegian capital was secured and would provide the first wave of troops with reinforcements and supplies. Aboard the ships of MG5 were 2,000 troops from the 163rd Infantry Division, around half of them in Blücher, including the headquarters staff. .P That morning the RNoN had four patrol vessels in the outer fjord, south of the two coastal batteries at Rauøy and Bolærne. One of these, Pol III, came across the torpedo boat Albatross just after 2300hrs. Pol III's commander, Kapitan L Welding-Olsen bravely challenged the German vessel and ordered the enemy ships to exit Norwegian waters immediately, whilst at the same time signalling to shore the presence of enemy ships. When Pol III refused to cease signalling, Albatross opened fire on the little Norwegian vessel and Welding-Olsen was killed in the ensuing engagement. .P With Pol III disposed of, Marine Gruppe 5 continued on its journey to Oslo. The early morning sky was full of fog and this assisted the German task force in getting past the, by now, alerted outer defences at Rauøy and Bolærne. These batteries both opened fire on the German ships, but without effect. .P Having succeeded in this task, Kummetz's plan was to continue toward Oslo with the bulk of his ships, leaving some of the torpedo boats and minesweepers to transfer from the cruisers, the troops that would be used to capture the Karljohansvern naval base and the two outer forts they had just successfully passed. .P At Karljohansvern, despite the best efforts of the minelayer Olav Tryggvason, which sank the minesweeper R17 and damaged both a second minesweeper, R21, and Albatross, German troops were able to land. The naval base was then surrendered without further bloodshed. Meanwhile, a further four minesweepers were employed to capture Rauøy and Bolærne. The Germans struggled to capture Rauøy, but the garrison there was ordered to cease resistance when the naval base at Horten surrendered at around 0800hrs. The Germans then had problems landing at Bolærne, and it was only when all of the ancient guns had broken down, that the garrison surrendered in the afternoon of the following day. .P Whilst these subsidiary actions were taking place, the main event was unfolding further up the Oslofjord. Oslo's inner defences were positioned at the Drøbak Narrows. There were a number of secondary forts located on the mainland, but the two key defensive positions were housed on two islands in the middle of the fjord; Nordre Kaholmen and Søndre Kaholmen. The former contained a torpedo battery, commanded by Kommandørkaptein A Anderssen, whilst the latter was home to the Oscarsborg Fortress and its three 11-inch guns, with Oberst B Eriksen commanding. .P At 0330hrs, Kummetz ordered Marine Gruppe 5 to begin the final part of its journey to Oslo, which would begin with navigation of the Drøbak Narrows. Strangely, Kummetz proceeded with Blücher in the van, despite knowing of the presence of the torpedo battery, and she was followed by Lützow, Emden, Möwe and then the two remaining minesweepers, R18 and R19, bringing up the rear. .P Oberst Eriksen gave the order for the 11-inch guns to fire at 0420hrs. Blücher was effectively targeted at point blank range and the first salvo smashed into her control tower. The second shell hit the aircraft hangar, which soon became an inferno as Blücher's aircraft and the aviation fuel caught fire.

More quickly followed these two hits, this time from the smaller calibre guns of the shore-based batteries.

Kummetz's flagship was by now in serious, if not fatal, trouble; worse was about to come. .P As Blücher continued through the narrows, she came into range of Anderssen's torpedoes. Two were fired and struck Blücher in quick succession. The heavy cruiser was now mortally wounded and by this time, Lützow had become the target for the Norwegian gun batteries. Kapitän Thiele, on board Lützow, ordered his ship, and those following, to reverse. All ships managed to successfully extract themselves but not before Lützow had received a number of hits, one of which succeeded in rendering Anton turret inoperable. .P Thiele had saved the remaining ships of Marine Gruppe 5, but for Blücher, there was to be no reprieve. With fires raging throughout the ship and with a pronounced list, the fire control parties were fighting a losing battle, and Blücher eventually capsized and sank shortly after 0600hrs. .P Eriksen's valiant efforts to stop the invasion would prove ultimately futile. The German troops still aboard Marine Gruppe 5 were put ashore at a number of points along the fjord and were then able to overcome the Norwegian batteries one by one. Lützow bombarded Oscarsborg with her 11-inch guns, while the Luftwaffe were ordered in to bomb the fortress from above. Seeing the surrounding batteries surrender to the Germans, Eriksen finally surrendered the fort in the evening of the 9th. .P While Eriksen could not save Oslo, his actions had helped to upset the German timetable. The number of Germans that had reached the capital by the end of that first day was only around 1,000. Had the Norwegian army been mobilised in time, and been properly commanded, it is possible that Oslo could have remained in Norwegian control for many days. This would have given the Anglo-French force, that later landed in central Norway, more time to consolidate their positions. Whether this would have ultimately made any difference to the campaign however, we will never know... .P After the capture of Karljohansvern, the Germans renamed Tordenskjold, Nymphe, and used her as a floating AA battery. She saw no action during the Second World War. .P HNoMS Tordenskjold was scrapped in 1948.

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Please see below the write-up for one of the Norwegian Army Counters. Would be grateful to any Nordic WIFers if they have anything to add here in addition to the usual grammar and punctuation checks.

[2678 Norwegian Mountain] .P The 1st Mountain Corps is one of three Norwegian army units available in World In Flames. The Mountain Corps counter represents the Norwegian Army in September 1939, prior to a call for Mobilisation. .P In reality, the Norwegians did not use the Corps system as such; indeed, at the outbreak of the Second World War the Norwegians did not use a divisional organisation as it existed in most armies around the world either. Instead, Norway was divided into six military districts, and each district was responsible for fielding a "division" in time of war. The six Military districts had their individual headquarters based in the following locations: .B .B 1st Division (Halden) .B 2nd Division (Oslo) .B 3rd Division (Kristiansand) .B 4th Division (Bergen) .B 5th Division (Trondheim) .B 6th Division (Harstad) .B .P Each division was made up of a brigade that consisted of two or three infantry regiments. An artillery unit was attached to each division at either battalion or regiment strength, while in some divisions a cavalry regiment was also attached. The units for each division are given below: .B .B 1st Division - 1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments (IR); 1st Dragoon Regiment (DR); 1st Artillery Regiment (AR). .B 2nd Division - 4th, 5th and 6th IR; 1st Guards Battalion; 2nd DR and 2nd AR. .B 3rd Division - 7th and 8th IR; 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion .B 4th Division - 9th and 10th IR; 2nd Mountain Artillery Battalion .B 5th Division - 11th, 12th and 13th IR; 3rd AR; 3rd DR .B 6th Division - 14th, 15th and 16th IR; 3rd Mountain Artillery Battalion .B .P The army was essentially infantry only, with no tanks and few motor vehicles. It was believed that the mountainous nature of the country made mechanisation less important should the country be attacked. Unfortunately, whilst this view has some merit, the Norwegians also fielded few, if any, anti-tank or anti-aircraft (AA) weapons. In World In Flames, this unit is given "mountain" status which allows benefits when fighting in such terrain. Whilst the Norwegian Army was generally ill-prepared when war came to them in April 1940, this mountain rating reflects the fact that Norwegian reservists were trained to fight in mountain terrain. .P The Norwegian Army employed the use of trained reservists to fill its ranks and therefore only on mobilisation of the army would individual battalions and brigades reach full strength. .P Only the 6th Division, based at Harstad in the north of the country, was anywhere near fully mobilised in April 1940. This partial mobilisation had been ordered in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Finland in October 1940. .P At the head of the army in September 1939 was Commanding General Kristian Laake; a man who was sadly to prove ill-equipped for the role. He controlled the army through a general staff, known as Hærens OverKommando (HOK). .P This write-up looks at the background to Norway entering the War on the 9th April 1940. For other stories please see: .B Norwegian land campaign (see the Oslo Militia Counter) .B Overview of the German invasion (see Harald Haarfagre) .B Battle for Oslo (see Tordenskjold) .B Battle for Narvik (see Eidsvold) .P Norway had managed to maintain a neutral position during World War I and she hoped things would remain that way. Therefore when, on the 3rd September 1939, the British and French declared war on Germany (in response to the latter's invasion of Poland), the Norwegian Government announced they would remain neutral. .P Unfortunately for the Norwegians, by April 1940, their country was the subject of great interest from both the Germans and the Allies. The Norwegian port of Narvik was used to get Swedish iron ore shipped to Germany during winter months. The normal route from the Swedish port of Lulea, through the Gulf of Bothnia, was frozen over for part of the year and shipment via Norway was the only practical route. Thus for the Allies, stopping the Germans from using Narvik was tempting. However, the Allies feared that the small Norwegian navy would be unable to maintain the integrity of Norwegian territorial waters; thus allowing German shipping to use those waters without fear of attack from the Allies. .P Accordingly, a number of plans were explored over the winter of 1939/40 that ranged from the mining of the Norwegian leads through to the sending of troops to Narvik. Ultimately however, the Allies were beaten to the post by the Germans. .P Hitler began to look seriously at Norway from early 1940, and for largely the same reasons as the Allies. In addition, the Kriegsmarine viewed the extended Norwegian coastline to be a perfect base from which Kriegsmarine U-boats and surface ships could threaten to break-out into the Atlantic. .P In great secrecy, Hitler ordered the drawing up of plans for the invasion of both Norway and Denmark in early 1940 - Operation Weserübung. Weserübung Nord, as the Norwegian part of the operation was known, involved landings by German troops against six main targets: Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Narvik, Kristiansand and Egersund. In addition, the plan called for the key airfields at Sola (Stavanger) and Fornebu (Oslo) to be seized by paratroopers. .P Although the Germans did not achieve the complete surprise they had counted on, the Norwegians failed to use prior warnings of the invasion to good effect. Crucially, no general mobilisation of the army was called for until the Germans had actually landed; severely hampering Norwegian efforts to counter-attack what were intially weak, and lightly armed German forces. .P Only at Oslo did the Norwegians inflict any serious reverse on the attackers. But having failed to stop the Germans from landing at any of the invasion sites, the Norwegian plan was to try and delay German attempts to conquer the rest of the country as long as possible. This would give the British and French time to come to the rescue in sufficient strength to ultimately throw the German invader back into the sea; however the Norwegians were to be sorely disappointed....

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

[2678 Norwegian Mountain] .P The 1st Mountain Corps is one of three Norwegian army units available in World In Flames. The Mountain Corps counter represents the Norwegian Army in September 1939, prior to a call for Mobilisation. .P In reality, the Norwegians did not use the Corps system as such; indeed, at the outbreak of the Second World War the Norwegians did not use a divisional organisation as it existed in most armies around the world either. Instead, Norway was divided into six military districts, and each district was responsible for fielding a "division" in time of war. The six Military districts had their individual headquarters based in the following locations: .B .B 1st Division (Halden) .B 2nd Division (Oslo) .B 3rd Division (Kristiansand) .B 4th Division (Bergen) .B 5th Division (Trondheim) .B 6th Division (Harstad) .B .P Each division was made up of a brigade that consisted of two or three infantry regiments. An artillery unit was attached to each division at either battalion or regiment strength, while in some divisions a cavalry regiment was also attached. The units for each division are given below: .B .B 1st Division - 1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments (IR); 1st Dragoon Regiment (DR); 1st Artillery Regiment (AR). .B 2nd Division - 4th, 5th and 6th IR; 1st Guards Battalion; 2nd DR and 2nd AR. .B 3rd Division - 7th and 8th IR; 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion .B 4th Division - 9th and 10th IR; 2nd Mountain Artillery Battalion .B 5th Division - 11th, 12th and 13th IR; 3rd AR; 3rd DR .B 6th Division - 14th, 15th and 16th IR; 3rd Mountain Artillery Battalion .B .P The army was essentially infantry only, with no tanks and few motor vehicles. It was believed that the mountainous nature of the country made mechanisation less important should the country be attacked. Unfortunately, whilst this view has some merit, the Norwegians also fielded few, if any, anti-tank or anti-aircraft (AA) weapons. In World In Flames, this unit is given "mountain" status that allows benefits when fighting in such terrain. Whilst the Norwegian Army was generally ill prepared when war came to them in April 1940, this mountain rating reflects the fact that Norwegian reservists were trained to fight in mountain terrain. .P The Norwegian Army employed the use of trained reservists to fill its ranks and therefore only on mobilisation of the army would individual battalions and brigades reach full strength. .P Only the 6th Division, based at Harstad in the north of the country, was anywhere near fully mobilised in April 1940. This partial mobilisation had been ordered in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Finland in October 1940. .P At the head of the army in September 1939 was Commanding General Kristian Laake; a man who was sadly to prove ill-equipped for the role. He controlled the army through a general staff, known as Hærens OverKommando (HOK). .P This write-up looks at the background to Norway entering the War on the 9th April 1940. For other stories please see: .B Norwegian land campaign (see the Oslo Militia Counter) .B Overview of the German invasion (see Harald Haarfagre) .B Battle for Oslo (see Tordenskjold) .B Battle for Narvik (see Eidsvold) .P Norway had managed to maintain a neutral position during World War I and she hoped things would remain that way. Therefore when, on the 3rd September 1939, the British and French declared war on Germany (in response to the latter's invasion of Poland), the Norwegian Government announced they would remain neutral. .P Unfortunately for the Norwegians, by April 1940, their country was the subject of great interest from both the Germans and the Allies. The Norwegian port of Narvik was used to get Swedish iron ore shipped to Germany during winter months. The normal route from the Swedish port of Lulea, through the Gulf of Bothnia, was frozen over for part of the year and shipment via Norway was the only practical route. Thus for the Allies, stopping the Germans from using Narvik was tempting. However, the Allies feared that the small Norwegian navy would be unable to maintain the integrity of Norwegian territorial waters; thus allowing German shipping to use those waters without fear of attack from the Allies. .P Accordingly, a number of plans were explored over the winter of 1939/40 that ranged from the mining of the Norwegian leads through to the sending of troops to Narvik. Ultimately however, the Germans beat the Allies to the post.

.P Hitler began to look seriously at Norway from early 1940, and for largely the same reasons as the Allies. In addition, the Kriegsmarine viewed the extended Norwegian coastline to be a perfect base from which Kriegsmarine U-boats and surface ships could threaten to breakout into the Atlantic. .P In great secrecy, Hitler ordered the drawing up of plans for the invasion of both Norway and Denmark in early 1940 - Operation Weserübung. Weserübung Nord, as the Norwegian part of the operation was known, involved landings by German troops against six main targets: Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Narvik, Kristiansand and Egersund. In addition, the plan called for the key airfields at Sola (Stavanger) and Fornebu (Oslo) to be seized by paratroopers. .P Although the Germans did not achieve the complete surprise they had counted on, the Norwegians failed to use prior warnings of the invasion to good effect. Crucially, no general mobilisation of the army was called for until the Germans had actually landed; severely hampering Norwegian efforts to counter-attack what were intially weak, and lightly armed German forces. .P Only at Oslo did the Norwegians inflict any serious reverse on the attackers. But having failed to stop the Germans from landing at any of the invasion sites, the Norwegian plan was to try and delay German attempts to conquer the rest of the country as long as possible. This would give the British and French time to come to the rescue in sufficient strength to ultimately throw the German invader back into the sea; however the Norwegians were to be sorely disappointed....

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Hi all. Been a while, I know. A few days ago Jimm started sending me some more write-ups for a few of the Italian units that remain. I think I've got 5 new ones (trouble with my email is preventing me from picking up the most recent one, but I'll have it soon). I hope to post a screenshot or two of these units be tomorrow at the latest.

-Aaron

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Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it! -Lazarus Long, RAH